Ruth Lisa Schechter
Ruth Lisa Schechter (January 2, 1917 - May 2, 1989) was an American poet. Life Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Schechter grew up in New York City, the only child of a Russian-Jewish immigrant mother. She spent most of her working life in New York‘s hospitals. In the 1960’s, she began writing seriously, giving readings, and studying with Louise Bogan.Bill Schechter, Ruth Lisa Schechter: An American poet (1917-1989), Tripod.com. Web, Dec. 16, 2013. She was a poet and a catalyst of all things creative. She read her work widely, lectured at colleges, mentored younger poets, and served as a poet-in-residence at Mundelein College, (near Chicago). She worked with other artists in the “Committee for Responsibility” during the Vietnam War. She was also a pioneering poetry therapist, working for many years at Odyssey House, a drug rehabilitation facility in New York City. During her career as a poet, she wrote 8 books of poetry (1 in collaboration with photographer Paul Kaufman). Her work appeared in half-a-dozen anthologies and over 150 poetry journals. 2 of her poems, "Alan, Carlos, Theresa" and "Moving Closer," were adapted as plays and staged in New York. Schechter was a member of P.E.N., the Poetry Society of America, and the Bronx Council of the Arts. Her first book was recorded in the Lamont Poetry Library, Harvard University. Her literary papers can be found in the Archive of 20th Century Writers, at the Mugar Memorial Library, Boston University. During the last 15 years of her life, she lived in Croton-On-Hudson, New York, where she founded the Croton Council of the Arts and edited the Croton Review. She died in 1989. Recognition The Poetry Society of America honored her with the Cecil Hemley Award. She also won fellowships to the MacDowell Colony in New Hampshire and to the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. Publications Poetry *''Near the Wall of Lion Shadows. Syracuse, NY: Salt Mound Press, 1969. *''Movable Parts. New York: Folder Editions, 1970? *''Suddenly Thunder. New York: Barlenmir House, 1972. *Offshore. New York: Barlenmir House, 1972. *Moving Closer: New and selected poems. New York: Catalyst Press, 1977. *Double Exposure'' (photographs by Paul Kaufman), New York: Barlenmir House, 1978. *''Clockworks. New York: Barlenmir House, 1979. *Speedway: Poems. Midland Park, NJ: Chantry Press, 1983. *Chords, and other poems. Midland Park, NJ: Chantry Press, 1986. *Many Rooms in a Winter Night. Croton-on-Hudson, NY: Croton Review, 1989. *Twelve Arrangements for a Japanese Tea-Garden: Haiku. Croton-on-Hudson, NY: Croton Review, 1989. Non-fiction *''Poetry Therapy: A therapeutic tool and healing force. Croton-on-Hudson, NY: Julie Smath Associates, 1983. Edited *''Voices of Odyssey''. New York: Odyssey House, 1974.Curriculum Vitae, Ruth Lisa Schechter, Tripod.com. Web, Dec. 16, 2013. *''The Croton Review'' (literary magazine). Croton-on-Hudson, NY: 1979-1989. Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.Search results = au:Ruth Lisa Schechter, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, Dec. 16, 2013. See also *List of U.S. poets References Fonds *Ruth Lisa Schechter Papers at Loyola University Notes External links ;Poems *"Near the Wall of Lion Shadows" ;Prose *Introduction to Poetry Therapy *[http://ruthlisaschechter.tripod.com/otherwritings/images/CrotonReviewintro.jpg Introduction to Croton Review] 10th anniversary issue. ;Audio / video *Ruth Lisa Schechter reads from her work (audio) ;Books *Ruth Lisa Schechter at Amazon.som ;About *Ruth Lisa Schechter: An American poet (1917-1989) Official website Category:American poets Category:20th-century poets Category:American women writers Category:20th-century women writers Category:English-language poets Category:Poets Category:Women poets Category:People from New York City